In the summer of 2015, the city of Fayetteville contracted with the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police (GACP) to complete an assessment of the city of Fayetteville Police Department.
The assessment would evaluate all aspects of the department to include operations, organization, and scope of services.
The police department, along with all other city departments, had experienced downsizing and some organizational changes during the recession.
The primary purpose of the evaluation, a proactive measure requested by the city, was to ensure the department was adequately equipped with the necessary resources to protect our citizens in light of the growth and increasing service demands within the city.
The initial draft report was received in the fall of 2015. The report outlined several areas and recommendations for improvement, as well as several areas where the police department was ahead of many other municipal police departments.
Upon receipt of the initial report, a meeting was conducted with the police chief and major to discuss many of the issues raised in the report.
Many of the minor issues were resolved within that meeting and a general plan of action was developed to address some of the more significant issues. Many of those more significant issues have already been addressed.
The most difficult issue remaining was the recommended organizational changes that are in the process of being addressed through the current budget process for Fiscal Year 2017.
The city of Fayetteville Police Department is accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies and is a state certified agency by the GACP. The department has experienced low turnover with no grievances filed in the last three years.
The city is confident that the assessment, presented to City Council, has provided a candid look at ourselves, identifying what we do well and what we can do better. The city is better prepared, as we enter our budget process, to support the Police Department through the allocation of appropriate resources to address the recommended changes.
Ray Gibson, AICP
City Manager
Fayetteville, Ga.
